Wall construction



. July 26, 1932- G. F. Mc KEN-NEY WALL CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Oct.l5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l N WMN July 26, 1932. G. F. McKENNEY WALLCONSTRUCTION Original Filed Oct. 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TLT T J w vgwuentoz Patented July 26, 1932 PATENT. OFFICE GEORGE F. MCKENNEY, FCLEVELAND, OHIO WALL CONSTRUCTION Application filed October 15, 1930,Serial No. 488,905. Renewed May 4, 1932.

My present invention relates to wall Constructions and the elementsthereof, and more particularly to a'novel side wall, ceiling, partitionor the like, adapted to serve as a finished wall surface or as a basefor a plaster coat- More particularly the invention contemplates a novelcombination of studding, wallboard, and means for securing the wallboardto the studding.

The invention also provides a novel type of stud and a new clip to serveas means for supporting the wallboard against the'studding. Among theimportant objects of the invention are the following: To provide anassembly of wallboard elements closely associated together in end to endrelation to form a wall or ceiling; to maintainsuch assembly securelysupported in place; to minimize the width of the openings between/theedges of adjacent wallboard elements; to prevent sagging ofthe'waliboard from the foundation studding or scantling; to provide aconstruction which may be assembled in a minimum of time, by relativelyunskilled labor, and which will require only inexpensive and easilyhandled parts; to provide an installation which will be entirelyfireproof; and in general to provide a novel wall or ceiling structurewhich will be superior to those of the prior art.

The elements which make up the combination constituting the completeexposition of the present invention may be used in the construction of avertical side wall or a ceilmg. It is to be understood that theinvention is capable of embodiment in either of such structures. Merelyto exemplify the invention, the accompanying drawings show it reduced topractice in a ceiling structure. In the following specification andclaims the term wall will be used, and it is to be understood that thisterm is intended to include generically a vertical side wall, a ceiling,a partition, or any other of the surfaces of building interiors whichare commonly faced'with a.

plaster coating.

The invention, which is illustrated in certain preferred forms ofembodiment in the accompanying drawings, will now be explained brieflyand later pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this application forLetters Patent and in which the same reference numeral designates thesame part in the several views,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a wall, roof and ceilingstructure;

Fig. 2 is a similar vertical section taken at a right angle to the viewof Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2; orFig. 3 may be considered an elevational view of a vertical wall orpartition;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of one of the stud elements of thewall. showing the plasterboard and pin in section Fig. 5 is a bottomplan view of a stud;

Fig. 6- is a cross sectional view of a stud and its associatedplasterboard taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is aview similar to Fig. 6 but showing a modification; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified type of clip and pin showingthese two elements formed integrally with each other.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 and 2, the referencenumeral 1 designates a roof or floor structure which in the form shownin the drawings is of reinforced concrete construction. It is to beunderstood that the invention which is now to be described may beassociated, when embodied in a ceiling, with any well known type of roofor floor construction.

Secured to the under side of the roof are eyes or the like 2 from whichdepend wire links 3=or equivalent means for suspending any suitable typeof beam 4:. In the form shown. in the drawings the links 3 are hung inspaced rows along the roof and carry a plurality of beams 4 inparallelism. It will be appreciated that the beams may be of anysuitable type, and any desirable means for suspending them may beemployed. Furthermore, the distance between adjacent. beams will dependlargely upon the dimensions of other parts of the structure, thepreference ofthe individual designer, and other considerations.

The reference numeral 5 designates one of a plurality of studs which aresecured by any satisfactory means, such for example as the twisted wire6, preferably at right angles 1 across the parallel series of beams l.Thus it will be evident that if the beams a in a given installationextend longitudinally of the room or building, the studding 5 willextend transversely of the room or building.

Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive show detail views of the novel stud 5 which formsone of the elements of the present invention. The stud is Channelshaped, being provided with a back face 8 and integral right angularlyextending parallel sides 9. The stud is provined at regular intervalsalong its length with pairs of transverse bridges 10, for a purposewhich will now be explained.

The stud is secured, as has been explained, to the beams t with its back8 engaged with the lower surfaces of the beams, so that its sides 9extend toward the interior of the room. TV allboard 11 is applied to thestudding preferably in the form of strips of the usual commercial size,i. e., 48 inches by 16 inches. lVhen boards of these dimensions are usedthe studding elements are conveniently spaced 2 feet apart, and thewallboards are placed transversely of these studding elements so thateach board will contact along its transverse edges ith studding stripsand will engage across its transverse center line another studdingstrip.

With the wallboard elements applied as shown in Fig. 3, a clip 12 isused to secure the wallboards to the studding strip. This clip, which isbest shown in Fig. 4:, consists of a length of wire having hooked endortions 13 and an intermediate loop 14:, besides a waved portion 15which is intended to pr0- vide spring resiliency in the clip. Thedimensions of the clip are such that its end portions 13 may be sprungover each of an adjacent pair of transverse bridges 10 of the studding,and its loop 14 will project through the space formed between adjacentedges of the wallboards, to receive a pin 16 and hold said pin snuglyagainst the margins of the wallboard. As shown in the drawings this pinmay conveniently be an ordinary carpenters nail.

The wallboard having been applied as explained in connection with thedescription of Fig. 3, a'plurality, preferably two or three, of clips 12and pins 16 are associated with the transverse bridges and the wallboardmargins, as has been explained. Preferably the wallboard is preformedwith slots 17 extending in a series, conveniently three in number,across its transverse center line. When installed, these slots 17register'with one of the studs, so that clips may be inserted throughone or more of these slots to engage the transverse bridges of the studand pins 16 to support this central portion of the wallboard element.

lVhile the transverse bridges 10 may be provided in any suitable way onthe channel stud, I prefer to form the stud of sheet metal and to strikeout of the free edges of its side portions integral ears which aredirected inwardly toward the opposite side of the channel stud.Preferably, but not necessarily, those integral metal ears are struck inpairs oppositely from both sides of the channel so that a two-plytransverse bridge is provided, as shown in Fig. 5. Such expedient hasthe advantage of increased strength and better esists the bendingstresses incurred in supporting the Weight of the wallboard.

The transverse bridges 10 may conveniently be provided along the stud atconstant, uniform distances, i. e., so that the distances between thebridges of each pair and the distance between the adjacent bridges oftwo consecutive pairs are substantially equal, so that the clip 12 neednot necessarily be applied to the pair of bridges designated A, A, inFig. 5, but may, if desired, be disposed between any other consecutivepair, such as the bridges A, B.

It will be evident that the feature just described greatly facilitatesassembly of the wall elements by rendering it unnecessary for theworkman to select any particular pair of bridges to be engaged by agiven clip.

Fig. 7 illustrates a modification in which a short length of wire 18 issubstituted for the clip 12. According to this modification the wire isinserted through the space between the wallboard edges, looped over oneof the transverse bridges 10, and over a pin 16, and then twisted tosecure the pin acros the edges of the wallboard. The twisted ends of thewire 18 may be tucked up in the space between the wallboards.

Fig. 8 shows a modification of the preferred type of clip and pinillustrated in the other figures. According to the modification of 8,the clip and pin are made integral, being conveniently stamped out of asingle piece of sheet metal. As will be evident from Fig. 8, the clipportion of the modification follows in general the contour and shape ofthe wire clip 12 of Figs. 4 and 6, and is provided with a pair ofintegral, outwardly extending ears 19 corresponding to and serving thesame function as the pin 17. The clip of F 8 is also provided witha pairof hooked end portions 20 adapted to engage the transverse bridges 10 ofthe stud and an intermediate waved portion 21, correspondingrespectively to the portions 13 and 15 of the clip 12.

It is to be understood that the wall surface, when assembled as has beendescribed. may, if desired, be covered with a plaster coating (notshown). Indeed, one of the principal uses of the invention is to serveas a foundation surface for plaster, providing a substitute for the wellknown metal or wooden lathing, which is at once superior in point ofelficiency and cost of construction. It is well known that the wallboard11 (which maybe the usual plaster or gypsum slab provided with anexterior coating of paper or paste board) is capable of forming a closebond with plaster. I have found that such wallboard when hung accordingto the principles of the present invention provides a base for thereception of a plaster coating which eliminates several of theobjectionable characteristics of wallboard foundations as assembledprior to this invention. Thus, by the present invention the cracksbetween adj acent boards are reduced to a minimum, since they need be nowider than the diameter of the wire of the clip. Cracks of such reducedwidth are negligible, so that the foundation wall constitutes apractically unbroken expanse of wallboard having the advantage of auniform suction or rate of absorption, which results in the preventionof cracking in the drying plaster.

Again, the resilience of the clip serves to maintain the wallboardsecurely and snugly against the studding, preventing the warping,loosening and consequent shifting thereof which is inevitable when theboards are fastened to the studding by non-yielding or non-resilientmeans, such as nails and the like.

While I have shown the elements 11 in the drawings as the well knownplaster or gypsum board and have in the specification and claimsdenominated them wallboard, it is to be understood that their precisecharacter and composition is not material to the present invention.Thus, while I prefer to use paper covered and generally imperforategypsum board, the wallboard elements 11 may be of wood, metal or anyother suitable material, and may be foraininous, as may be desired. Inother words, the term wallboard as used in this specification and in theclaims is intended to include within its extension any acceptable typeof preformed wall covering material which is adapted to be used as afinished wall surface or as a base for plaster.

It is to be understood thatI have shown and described in thisapplication for Letters Patent the present invention in certainpreferred forms of embodiment merely by way of exemplification. Otherand further modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, butall such modifications, to the extent that they embody the principles ofthe present invention aspointed out in the appended claims are to bedeemed within the scope and purview thereof.

Having thus described my present invention what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wall construction including wallboard, a stud of channel crosssection proviided with a pair of-spaced apart transverse bridges, a cliphavingend portions engaged with said'bridges and an intermediate.portion adaptedto project between abutting edges of the wallboard, andan element engaged by said intermediate portion and supporting adjacentmargins of the wallboard.

2. A wall construction including wallboard, a stud of channel crosssection provided with a pair of spaced apart transverse bridges, aspring clip having end portions engaged with said bridges and anintermediate portion projecting between abutting edges of wallboard, apin engaged by said intermediateportion and yieldingly pressed therebyagainst the marginal portions of, the wallboard. 7

A wall construction as claimed in claim 1, in which the sides of thechanneled stud extend toward the wallboard and portions of oneofsaidsides are stuck out and turned inwardly toward'the other side toform the transverse bridges.

4. A wallconstruction as claimed in claim 1, in which the sides of thechanneled stud extend toward the wallboard and portions of both of saidsides are struck out and directed inwardly toward the opposite side incontacting relation to provide a two-ply transverse bridge.

5. A wall construction as claimed in claim 1, in which the sides of thechanneled stud extend toward the wallboard and in which the transversebridges are formed on the free edges of said sides.

6. A wall construction as claimed in claim 1, in which the channel studis provided with a plurality of pairs of transverse bridges, thedistances between the bridges of each pair and between the bridges ofadjacent pairs being substantially equal.

7. A wall construction as claimed in claim 2, in which a portion of theclip between its end portions is waved or curved to increase itsresiliency.

8. In a wall construction, the combination of a stud having a pair ofspaced bridges extending across its transverse dimension, and means forcarrying a wallboard supporting pin from said bridges.

9. A stud for a wall construction comprising a channel shaped memberhaving a back and two substantially parallel sides, a portion of thefree edge of one of the sides being struck out and inwardly directedtoward the opposite side to provide an integral, transbridge, adapted toreceive and carry a wallboard supporting clip.

11. A stud for a wall construction comprising a channel shaped memberhaving a back and two substantially parallel sides, portions of the freeedge of one of the sides being struck out and inwardly directed towardthe opposite side at a plurality of points to provide a plurality ofintegral, transverse bridges, adapted to receive and carry a Wallboardsupporting clip.

12. A stud for a Wall construction comprising a channel shaped memberhaving a back and two substantially parallel sides, portions of the freeedge of one of the sides being struck out and directed toward theopposite side at a plurality of points, and portions of the free edge ofthe other side being similar- 1y struck out and directed toward thefirst side at a plurality of opposite points, the opposite struck outportions being disposed in contacting parallelism to provide a pluralityof transverse bridges, adapted to receive and carry a wallboardsupporting clip.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE F. MOKENNEY.

